Paul Antonio

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Paul Antonio trained as a calligraphy, gilder and heraldic artist. For 17 years his work has graced the letters, invitations and envelopes of some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses for fashion shows and their top clients. His high end wedding stationery combined an intimate knowledge of handwritten work and pen made illustration with a clear understanding of printing and colour.

Paul’s interest in Ancient Writing Systems saw him work in Egypt drawing hieroglyphs in the MET Museum NYC. He has lectured at the V&V, The British Museum and the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. He is also one of the four Crown Office Scribes for England, still writing some of the laws of the country on vellum and parchment for the Queen of England to sign.

Paul is inventor of ‘the 4Fold Symmetry’ a new and innovative system which makes the learning of Copperplate Script a simpler acquisition and is the author of ‘Copperplate Script – A Yin&Yang Approach.

This is an introduction to some very basic techniques and movements which will help you come to terms with how to effectively use the associated tools. Too often we want to write and start at the, beautiful, and more complex, letterforms without taking into consideration the sub skills needed to construct those elegant shapes. This is a frustrating workshop as it will challenge your perceptions of letterforms and how you approach them. Homework is essential and must be adhere to. You will be expected to produce two weeks of homework and work along with the required videos. Homework must be brought to class. The homework gives you the right tools to progress swiftly in the class.

TQ, c 1250, is by far one of the easier Latin Scripts to start a calligraphic journey. In this 2Day course we will look at the broad edged nib and how it works, and more importantly, how to apply it to the page to produce the minuscule of a script from which most of the formal scripts of the Gothic period derived.

The workshop will focus on a geometric approach to the historical script and will concentrate on accuracy of shape. Most of the minuscules only need 3 basic shapes to be executed, thus, exacting repetition is essential to produce a consistent page of text. Students will be required to bring some text to write. Homework is essential and must be adhere to. You will be expected to produce two weeks of homework and work along with the required videos. Homework must be brought to class. The homework gives you the right tools to progress swiftly in the class.